Steamed Alaskan King Crab Legs with Beurre Blanc for Dipping

There is nothing like king crab when it comes to flavor and presentation. It’s sweet, succulent, snowy white in appearance and an absolute family favorite meal. Let’s face it, it’s hard not to gawk at these beautiful limbs when peering into the seafood counter. They are impressive. But don’t be intimidated by them, they are so easy to prepare.

King crab are the largest crabs in the world and live in the very cold waters off Alaska and parts of Russia. The Alaskan crabs are big and meaty because they are caught just before molting. We are so lucky these legs are available year-round due to the abundant catch during crab season, which is only 3 months a year. 

This variety of crab is usually not sold live. They are cleaned and cooked almost immediately after being caught and then frozen. So don’t refreeze them once you get them home, since they have most likely already been thawed. Enjoy them within-1-2 days of purchase.

To prepare my steamed crab with ease, I used my Wolf Steamer in our kitchen’s center island. Let me just say, if you are planning a new kitchen in the near future, I would seriously consider adding this or one of the other Wolf 15″ integrated modules to your wishlist. 

At first, I wasn’t sure I would really use this module as much as I do. But, oh my goodness, it’s an amazing feature to have available in my kitchen. With perforated and solid basket inserts, I am able to make all kinds of things; rice, poached fish and steamed buns to name a few. 

I even proof dough in my steamer and make aromatic potpourris, which makes the house smell wonderful during the holidays. The uses are endless and having it available has really improved the functionality of my kitchen. It’s like having another burner on the stove, without having to own a very large pot to cook it all in. Did I mention how I quickly defrost food in the steamer? It’s a wonderful feature.

And look how seamlessly it blends into the countertop. Other options are to create a custom cooktop or add specialty functions alongside an existing cooktop or range. There are lots of choices when it comes to installing one of these modules. I wish I had room for them all…especially the deep fryer.

Using the module is not complicated and comes with a child-safety lock. With a few touches, your water is at boiling temperature in a matter of minutes. 

My steamer is next to a sink, making it easy to fill and draining it requires only the touch of a button. It’s simple to clean so I am never shy to use it.

The large capacity insert left me with more room than I needed for the crab. I could have easily placed another pound or two into the basket.

Normally I would have had to cut the crabs legs to fit into my steamer pot on the stove. The Wolf steamer allowed me to keep the impressive looking legs whole, which I wanted for presentation purposes.

The lid is very durable and seals tightly over the basket. Here the crab is steaming, as you can see by the condensation on the underside of the glass. It also means dinner is almost served.

When ready, just remove the lid and remove the basket using potholders. You can also leave the food in place and use this module as part of your buffet line. This works well in my kitchen, with other dishes in proximity on the counter. 

While drawn butter is classic for crab, I thought it would be fun to put together an herby beurre blanc sauce for dipping. It’s creamy and buttery, with a little spicy-kick. It’s a wonderful way to take your crab legs up a notch and let me use up some of the prolific herbs growing in my garden. Give this sauce a try next time you serve crab.

I thought a little tutorial on how to get to the wonderful crab meat might be helpful. First of all, king crab is very spikey. Use a towel to hold on to the legs while you cut through the sections to avoid getting poked.

Each crab leg has a portion of the knuckle at its base. Using kitchen shears, remove this portion and easily take out the meat with a seafood fork. Next, cut the legs into smaller portions at each joint. Each portion can be easily accessed by cutting through the shell lengthwise. Cut along the lightly-colored area, it’s softer. Push the meat through with a fork. For the claw, place in a towel and cover. Use a mallet to crack the shell and pull out the meat.

Enjoy your meal!

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This post was sponsored by Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances as part of their “What’s Cookin’ in My Kitchen” campaign. Thank you for supporting companies I truly love, it allows me to continue creating content I can share with all of you.